BBNJ Treaty Comes Into Force, Focuses on Marine Conservation

The United Nations on Saturday (January 17) announced the entry into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, calling it a major milestone for ocean protection and global cooperation.

This treaty, formally titled ‘Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction’, establishes the first legally binding framework to conserve and sustainably manage marine biodiversity in areas beyond national borders. These regions account for nearly two-thirds of the world’s oceans.

About the treaty:

A key objective of the agreement is the “30 by 30” target, which aims to protect 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030. The treaty focuses on the fair sharing of benefits derived from marine genetic resources and the creation and enforcement of marine protected areas. It further aims at conducting regular environmental impact assessments. In addition, it also seeks to provide capacity-building and technology transfer to countries that need it.

The BBNJ treaty, also known as the High Seas Treaty, was adopted in June 2023 after five years of intense negotiations that followed nearly two decades of international discussions. Talks formally began in 2008 amid rising concerns over the unchecked exploitation of the high seas. The agreement entered into force 120 days after receiving its 60^th ratification, a threshold reached in September 2025. Since then, the number of ratifications has climbed to over 80, with countries such as China, Brazil, and Japan joining the list. The United Nations has expressed hope that, once fully implemented, the agreement will play a vital role in addressing the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the treaty as a critical step forward, stating, “In a world of accelerating crisis, climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, the agreement fills a critical governance gap to secure a resilient and productive ocean for all.” He urged all countries to join the treaty and move quickly toward universal implementation, concluding, “Let us now honour the promises of the agreement for people everywhere.”

Welcoming the development, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the organization was prepared to assist with implementation. He said, “The world has demonstrated that countries can come together with a common vision and build a framework to manage the ocean sustainably while ensuring its benefits are shared fairly among all humanity.”

Effectiveness in doubt:

Despite the progress, concerns remain over the treaty’s effectiveness due to limited global participation. Countries that have not ratified the agreement are not legally bound by its provisions. While 81 UN parties, including the European Union, have ratified the treaty so far, notable countries such as Australia and Canada remain absent.

Russia, citing its preference to maintain existing governance frameworks, also remains among the few countries that have neither adopted nor ratified the treaty.

The United States, the world’s largest economy and one of the top five exporters of ocean-related goods valued at $61 billion, signed the treaty in 2023 but has yet to ratify it. 

Similarly, India, a major developing-economy exporter with ocean-related goods valued at $19 billion, adopted the treaty in 2024. However, domestic legislation required for ratification is still pending. 

In the United Kingdom, legislation was introduced in 2025, but parliamentary ratification has not yet taken place.

Meanwhile, Bloom, a France-based non-governmental organization, cautioned that the treaty alone will not be sufficient to fully protect the high seas. In a statement, the organization said the BBNJ treaty overlaps with several existing international mechanisms. It noted that the agreement does not cover the management of seabed mineral resources, including potential bans on deep-sea mining, which fall under the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority.

“The governance of high seas fisheries will continue to remain under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and various regional fisheries management bodies, including highly dysfunctional Indian Ocean Tuna Commission,” the statement said.